Amid the Gaza War, rockets were launched toward the US embassy in the capital of Iraq

BAGHDAD: The US embassy in Baghdad’s tightly guarded Green Zone was the target of a barrage of rocket launches on Friday, according to the mission. This assault was the latest in a string of similar ones during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

An American official said that “a multi-rocket attack was launched at US and Coalition forces in the vicinity of Union III and the Baghdad embassy complex” with no known injuries or damage.

No one took instant credit for anything.

Leading a multinational coalition against Islamists in neighboring Syria and Iraq, the United States has recently seen a number of attacks on its personnel.

The strikes took place in the midst of the more than two-month-long conflict in the Gaza Strip between US ally Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization, which is supported by Iran.

The US embassy claimed in a statement that at around 4:15 am (0115 GMT), “two salvoes of rockets” were launched at the mission facility. A US spokeswoman said, “Indications are the attacks were initiated by Iran-aligned militias.”

The spokesman urged Iraq’s government to safeguard infrastructure, coalition allies, and diplomats, saying, “We reiterate that we reserve the right to self-defense and to protect our personnel anywhere in the world.”

Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, urged security authorities to apprehend those involved in embassy assaults and issued a warning that such acts jeopardize national security.

Pro-Iranian organizations have launched several drone or missile attacks on US or coalition soldiers in Syria and Iraq since the middle of October.

However, since the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7, there have been no rocket attacks on the US embassy in Baghdad until Friday, which has increased regional tensions and raised worries of a larger battle.

“Three Katyusha rockets targeting the American embassy fell close to the Green Zone,” which is along the Tigris River, according to an Iraqi security officer.

another 900 US soldiers are stationed in Syria and another 2,500 in Iraq as part of the military’s attempts to stop the Islamic State from rising again.

About 80 assaults

Pro-Iranian organizations began their operations against US and coalition troops this week after the expiration of a seven-day ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which is supported by Iran. They justified their actions by citing US backing for Israel.

An informal alliance of armed organizations connected to the Hashed al-Shaabi coalition of former paramilitaries now incorporated into Iraq’s conventional military forces, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed most of them.

In retaliation, US troops have attacked locations in Syria and Iraq that are connected to Iran. The assaults on Friday, according to Sudani, were “unacceptable and unjustifiable.”

The prime minister of Iraq said, “Our security forces… will continue to protect embassies.”

Farhad Alaaldin, his advisor on international affairs, said that the administration was “determined” to maintain Iraq’s stability. “No attempt to destabilize the country will be tolerated,” he said.

In addition, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq denounced the bombing and issued a dire warning. UNAMI said on X, previously Twitter, “Iraq cannot afford to be drawn into a wider conflict, which would threaten hard-won stability and the achievements made so far.”

Separately, the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq’s capital, Arbil, was targeted by an explosive drone on Friday night without resulting in any injuries, according to the Kurdish counter-terrorism agency without providing any other information.

A “self-defense strike” on a drone launch point near Kirkuk was carried out in northern Iraq, according to a US military spokesman on Sunday. The killing of “five martyrs” was subsequently proclaimed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

A drone attacked Western forces at the Ain al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq on Wednesday, according to a US military official, but there were no injuries or damages. Since October 17, Washington has recorded at least 78 strikes on US soldiers in Syria and Iraq.

According to Israeli sources, the Israel-Hamas conflict started on October 7, when militants from Hamas assaulted Israel, murdering over 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and kidnapping nearly 240 more.

According to the Hamas administration in Gaza, Israel responded by vowing to destroy the group and launching a huge military onslaught that has killed 17,487 Palestinians in the region.

The Pentagon reports that at least 60 US soldiers have been injured as a result of the assaults, which included drone and rocket fire.